On Building Resilience in a Startup
If the word “resilience” makes you groan, much like the words “synergy,” “best-in-class” or “unprecedented times” might, I get it. But, hear me out. Resilience is one of the most underappreciated and important character traits in humans—especially when working at a startup. So what does it mean to be resilient within a startup context? Embrace…
Why should they stay? How having a clear employee value proposition can help you snag top talent
The media stories speak for themselves. Just like today’s real estate market, it’s an employee’s job market. Companies are hemorrhaging talent and struggling to rehire. As of last month, there were 8.4 million unemployed individuals in the U.S. despite 10 million job openings. Job-seekers are able to be more selective and can negotiate terms that work best…
The 5W’s of Software Products
Over the last decade of building software products, I’ve noticed a pattern: product initiatives are more likely to fail if they don’t have the right roles in play. Why, What, How, When, and Who: Each of these five questions needs a specific name assigned to it. Job title and management lines may not matter, as…
Meetings and Coronavirus-induced WFH
Before COVID-19, many executives easily dismissed the benefits of a remote work culture, because “in person just works better.” Now that we’re over half a year into this forced experiment, it’s time to recognize an anti-pattern: do not attempt to directly replace in-person interactions with video calls. Instead: embrace the cultural changes needed to make…
Wil.README
Over the last few years years, I’ve found myself repeating roughly the same spiel every time I onboard a new direct report. When I ran across the concept of a Manager README a few years ago, it seemed like an obvious and good idea to spend some time writing it down. Some Things About Me…